The portable telephones having a speaker and heretofore proposed include, for example, a foldable portable telephone as shown in FIG. 8 (see JP-A No. 2002-58094). This telephone comprises a first case 91 and a second case 92 which are connected by a hinge mechanism 93 and closable or openable relative to each other. The first case 91 has a plurality of manual keys 94 arranged on the surface thereof and a transmitter (not shown) thereon. The second case 92 has a display 95 on the surface thereof and a receiver hole 96 above the display 95. Positioned as opposed to the receiver hole 96 is a receiver 81 provided inside the second case 92 for receiving incoming calls. A speaker 82 for radiating incoming sound is attached to the rear side of the receiver 81 and opposed to the rear wall of the second case 92. Positioned as opposed to the speaker 82 is a sound radiating hole 97 formed in the rear wall of the second case 92.
Since the receiver 81 and the speaker 82 in the form of a unit can be accommodated in the second case 92, the foldable portable telephone described can be manufactured at a reduced cost by a simplified process.
However, the telephone shown in FIG. 8 has the problem that when the display 95 is exposed as opened and is opposed to the user, the speaker 82 faces toward a direction opposite to the user, radiating sound toward the opposite direction to the user.
This problem may be overcome by providing the sound radiating side of the speaker on the front wall of the second case, but when the foldable portable telephone is so constructed, the sound radiating side is covered with the other case in the closed state, hence the problem that in the closed state, the user is unable to enjoy the sound radiated from the speaker with a satisfactory quality in a sufficient volume.
FIGS. 9(a) and 9(b) show a foldable portable telephone which is free of the above problem. This telephone has a speaker 83 housed in a first case 91. Positioned as opposed to the speaker 83 is a sound radiating hole 98 formed in the front wall of the first case 91. A second case 92 has a through hole 99 at a position to be opposed to the sound radiating hole 98 when closed.
In the case of the above telephone, the sound from the speaker 83 is radiated through the hole 98 formed in the front wall of the first case 91 when the second case 92 is set in the opened state relative to the first case 91 as shown in FIG. 9(b). The user can therefore enjoy the sound radiated from the speaker 83 with a high quality in a large volume. When the second case 92 is set in the closed state relative to the first case 91 as shown in FIG. 9(a), the user is capable of enjoying the sound from the speaker 83 with a satisfactory quality in a sufficient volume in spite of the closed state since the sound from the speaker 83 is released via the through hole 99 in the second case 92 opposed to the sound radiating hole 98.
Since the large through hole 99 must be formed in the second case 92, the telephone shown in FIGS. 9(a) and 9(b) nevertheless has the problem that the second case 92 becomes large-sized, consequently making the telephone larger in its entirety.